BURLINGTON — The University of Vermont has hired a private company to recruit more international students.

The company is called Study Group and is based in Australia. It has partnership arrangements with educational institutions in six countries besides the United States.

The program is to be called UVM Global Gateway and is scheduled to debut in January with about 50 students. It would offer English and other academic courses over two semesters that will enable participants to enroll as regular undergraduates at UVM.

Students would pay out-of-state tuition, expected to be about $34,650 in the next academic year. The plan is for 30 percent to go to Study Group and 70 percent to UVM.